Safeguarding arrangement

Abstract

A safeguarding arrangement for restricting the movability of at least one transport container storable or stored in a support structure receptacle. The transport container may be used for transporting goods, for example, in an aircraft, and may be stowed in the aircraft's galley area as a trolley. The safeguarding arrangement has a first safeguarding installation with at least one first safeguarding arrangement. The at least one first safeguarding arrangement allows the insertion or removal of the at least one transport container into the receptacle or from the receptacle, respectively, in its open position via an opening. The safeguarding arrangement overlaps a clean measure of the opening of the receptacle, at least zonally, in a hold position, in which the at least one transport container is held against removal from the receptacle. Further, the first safeguarding arrangement is formed variably with regard to its engagement depth into the receptacle.

Claims

1. A safeguarding arrangement for an aircraft and for restricting the movability of differently sized transport containers independently storable or stored in a single receptacle of a support structure, of differently sized trolleys stowed in the area of a galley of the aircraft, comprising: a safeguarding installation comprising a safeguarding means, wherein the safeguarding means allows at least one of an insertion into the receptacle or a removal from the receptacle, respectively, of one of the transport containers in an open position, via an opening of the receptacle, the safeguarding means overlapping a clean measure of the opening of the receptacle, at least zonally, in a hold position, in which the at least one transport container is held against removal from the receptacle, and the safeguarding means having a first portion selectively rotatable relative to a second portion, wherein the first and second portions each comprise an engagement surface, each engagement surface defining a corresponding engagement depth, wherein, in use, a variable engagement depth in a direction towards the receptacle is provided.

2. The arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the safeguarding means is configured to be swiveled between the open position and the hold position.

3. The arrangement according to claim 2, wherein the safeguarding means is configured to be swiveled continuously.

4. The arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the safeguarding means covers a swivel range on the order of a quarter turn of a full circle between the open position and the hold position.

5. The arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the safeguarding means is provided moveable against a blocking force, in at least one of the open position or in the hold position, constituting end positions of the safeguarding means.

6. The arrangement according to claim 5, wherein the blocking force comprises a spring arrangement or a locking member.

7. The arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the safeguarding means is provided with a handle at which the safeguarding means can be gripped and due to which the safeguarding means is configured to be manually guided between the open position and the hold position.

8. The arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the safeguarding means is formed in multiple holding parts and comprises at least one first and one second holding part comprising the first and second portions, respectively, which are configured to be swiveled about a common swivel axis.

9. The arrangement according to claim 8, wherein the common swivel axis eccentrically extends through the holding parts.

10. The arrangement according to claim 8, wherein at least the first and the second holding part of the safeguarding means comprise an essentially similar shape and the holding parts mainly overlap one another while in a common angular position.

11. The arrangement according to claim 8, wherein the two holding parts are configured to be connectable and moveable synchronously in a connected state.

12. The arrangement according to claim 8, wherein the second holding part comprises on a free end, an edge portion projecting along an insertion direction of the at least one transport container, which portion protrudes into the receptacle while the second holding part or the safeguarding means, respectively, is in the hold position.

13. The arrangement according to claim 12, wherein there exists a distance between the edge portion of the second holding part in its holding position and a wall portion of the one of the transport containers facing the edge in the holding position, which distance falls in a range from zero to a predetermined maximum distance.

14. The arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the support structure is provided with a recess, in which the safeguarding means, is configured to be stowable or stowed in the open position, at least in part.

15. The arrangement according to claim 8, wherein the multiple holding parts are provided connectable or connected to each other via a coupling member, the coupling member being linkable or linked based on the size of transport container being inserted into the receptacle.

16. The arrangement according to claim 15, wherein the manner of insertion may switch, or not, a switching element of the coupling member.

17. The arrangement according to claim 16, wherein the coupling member causes a coupling of the holding parts, wherein the coupling member carries out a coupling procedure of the holding parts by transferring the switching element from a release position into a locking position and vice versa, respectively.

18. The arrangement according to claim 17, wherein the coupling member is provided with an actuating piece, which is moveable, and which is engaged with a slot provided at the second holding part while the switching element is in the release position and which is disengaged from said slot while the switching element is transferred into the locking position.

19. The arrangement according to claim 18, wherein the actuating piece is linearly moveable.

20. A safeguarding arrangement for an aircraft and for restricting the movability of differently sized transport containers independently storable or stored in a single receptacle of a support structure, of differently sized trolleys stowed in the area of a galley of the aircraft, comprising: a safeguarding installation comprising: a safeguarding means, wherein the safeguarding means allows at least one of an insertion into the receptacle or a removal from the receptacle, respectively, of one of the transport containers in an open position, via an opening of the receptacle, the safeguarding means overlapping a clean measure of the opening of the receptacle, at least zonally, in a hold position, in which the at least one transport container is held against removal from the receptacle, and the safeguarding means having a first portion selectively rotatable relative to a second portion, wherein the first and second portions each comprise an engagement surface, each engagement surface defining a corresponding engagement depth, wherein, in use, a variable engagement depth in a direction towards the receptacle is provided, wherein the safeguarding means is formed in multiple holding parts and comprises at least one first and one second holding part comprising the first and second portions, respectively, which are configured to be swiveled about a common swivel axis, wherein the multiple holding parts are provided connectable or connected to each other via a coupling member, the coupling member being linkable or linked based on the size of transport container being inserted into the receptacle, via a switching element of the coupling member, wherein the coupling member causes a coupling of the holding parts, wherein the coupling member carries out a coupling procedure of the holding parts by transferring the switching element from a release position into a locking position and vice versa, respectively, wherein the coupling member is provided with an actuating piece, which is moveable, and which is engaged with a slot provided at the second holding part while the switching element is in the release position and which is disengaged from said slot while the switching element is transferred into the locking position.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) For a more complete understanding of the invention and the advantages thereof, exemplary embodiments of the invention are explained in more detail in the following description with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which like reference characters designate like parts and in which in:

(2) FIG. 1 is a schematic cut side view of an embodiment of a safeguarding arrangement with a safeguarding means having a first holding part, which is not provided variably with regard to the engagement depth and which correspondingly does not engage into the receptacle, whereas the receptacle is supplied with two half-size trolleys;

(3) FIG. 2 is a schematic cut side view of an embodiment of a safeguarding arrangement according to the invention with a safeguarding means in a hold position, comprising a first and a second holding part and provided variably with regard to the engagement depth into the receptacle, whereas the receptacle is supplied with a full-size trolley;

(4) FIG. 3 is a schematic perspective plane frontal view of another embodiment of a safeguarding means of the safeguarding arrangement according to the invention taken from FIG. 2 and arranged with a supporting structure, the safeguarding means having a coupling member, the switching element of which is in the locking position; and

(5) FIG. 4 is a schematic perspective view of another embodiment of a safeguarding means of the safeguarding arrangement according to the invention taken from FIGS. 2 and 3 and arranged with a supporting structure, the safeguarding means having a coupling member the switching element of which is transferred from the locking position into the release position.

(6) The accompanying drawings are included to provide a further understanding of the present disclosure and are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification.

(7) The drawings illustrate particular embodiments of the invention and together with the description serve to explain the principles of the invention. Other embodiments of the invention and many of the attendant advantages of the invention will be readily appreciated as they become better understood with reference to the following detailed description.

(8) It will be appreciated that common and well understood elements that may be useful or necessary in a commercially feasible embodiment are not necessarily depicted in order to facilitate a more abstracted view of the embodiments. The elements of the drawings are not necessarily illustrated to scale relative to each other.

(9) It will further be appreciated that certain actions and/or steps in an embodiment of a method may be described or depicted in a particular order of occurrences while those skilled in the art will understand that such specificity with respect to sequence is not necessarily required. It will also be understood that the terms and expressions used in the present specification have the ordinary meaning as is accorded to such terms and expressions with respect to their corresponding respective areas of inquiry and study, except where specific meanings have otherwise been set forth herein.

(10) The same or functionally equivalent elements and devices have been put on the same reference signs in all figures provided that nothing else is indicated.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

(11) With reference firstly to FIG. 1 of the drawings, a safeguarding arrangement for restricting the movability of at least one transport container 17 storable or stored in a receptacle 16 of a support structure 14 is illustrated, the transport containers 17 of FIG. 1 being constituted by two half-size trolleys 18 arranged side by side in the receptacle 16 fitting flush with the support structure 14 in the area of a galley of an aircraft, not further shown here, as viewed in observation direction extending through the focal plane.

(12) The safeguarding arrangement 10 has a safeguarding installation 11, comprising a first safeguarding means 12, the first safeguarding means 12 allows the transport containers 17 to be inserted into the receptacle 16 or to be retracted from the receptacle 16 via an opening 15, while in an open position.

(13) Furthermore, the transport containers 17 are held in a hold position against removal from the receptacle 16 by the first safeguarding means 12, the safeguarding means 12 thereby overlaps a clean measure of the opening 15 of the receptacle 16, at least zonally, such that the safeguarding means 12 with a portion facing the “outer” of the two transport containers 17 in the hold position, shows such a small distance 26a with the transport container 17, that the two trolleys 18 are held securely in the receptacle 16. The external wall, indicated by a dashed line in FIG. 1, of the mentioned trolley 18 received in the receptacle 16 and facing the outside, fits flush with support structure 14 edging the opening 15 and just being covered by the trolley's wall in FIG. 1.

(14) Such a configuration showing the safeguarding means 12 able to be swiveled about a swiveling axis 13 from an open position into a hold position is also known from the prior art.

(15) Referring now to FIG. 2 of the drawings, the safeguarding means 10 according to the invention illustrated there shows structural similarity to the one shown in FIG. 1, but here, the first safeguarding means 12 is formed variable with regard to its engagement depth into the receptacle 16. The safeguarding arrangement 10 of FIG. 2 illustrates the transport container 17 in the form of a full-size trolley 19 received in the receptacle 16 and held by the safeguarding means 12 of the safeguarding arrangement 11 in the holding position.

(16) The variability of the safeguarding means 12 shown in FIG. 2 results from its multipart configuration with a first holding part 20 and a second holding part 22. In addition, the safeguarding means is formed to be swiveled continuously between its open position and its hold position and it sweeps over a swivel range of about 90°, which means a quarter turn of a full circle. The first safeguarding means 12 may be provided moveable against a blocking force, for example, being provided as a spring arrangement 40 (FIG. 3) or a locking member 42 (FIG. 2), in the open position and/or in the hold position as its end positions. For the sake of clarity, the fact that the first safeguarding means 12 is moveable against a spring force in the end positions being constituted by the open position and the hold position cannot be seen in FIG. 2. This may, for example, result in a support to adopt the end position in which direction the movement takes place by the mentioned force already beginning in a “middle position” while countering the opposite movement to leave the position until approaching this middle position, whereby, in total, the undesired or unwanted leave is adequately countered if the respective position is adopted deliberately, as in an over-center spring arrangement 40 as shown schematically in FIG. 3.

(17) However, one can clearly see that the first holding part 20 of the first safeguarding means 12 is, due to its shape, provided with a handle 21, at which it can be gripped and guided manually between the open position and the hold position, a fact depicted even better in FIGS. 3 and 4, described below.

(18) Returning to the two holding parts 20, 22, one can see in FIGS. 2 to 4 that the first safeguarding means 12 is formed in a multipart manner with these holding parts 20 22, formed to be swiveled independent from one another about a common axis 13, which is represented by the swivel axis 13 mentioned before and which eccentrically extends through the holding parts 20, 22.

(19) The two mentioned holding parts 20, 22 of the safeguarding means 12 comprise by this an essentially similar contour and cover one another in the same angular position, such that the second holding part 22 merely overlaps the first one in a partially circumferential peripheral zone 23, as arising again from FIGS. 3 and 4.

(20) Further, it can be clearly recognized that the holding parts 20, 22 can be coupled, such as by frictional engagement, detents, and similar arrangements, that they are moveable synchronously, hence they can be swiveled. At this, the second holding part 22 comprises an edge 24 at its free end as a protruding portion, which edge projects into the receptacle 16 when the second holding part 22 and the coupled safeguarding means 12, respectively, are in the holding position, while its small distance or even its contact with the transport container 17 holds the latter in its position.

(21) Accordingly, as can be clearly seen in FIG. 2, there exists no spacing, or a distance 26b falling below a predetermined maximum distance, between the edge 24 of the second holding part 22 in its holding position and a wall portion of the transport container 17 facing the edge 24 in the holding position.

(22) Referring now to FIGS. 3 and 4, one recognizes that at first instance in FIG. 3, there is illustrated merely a securing installation 11 of the safeguarding arrangement 10 of FIG. 2. Firstly, one identifies the safeguarding means 12 of the safeguarding installation 10 with its two holding parts 20, 22 arranged to be swiveled jointly and synchronously and being situated jointly in the holding position, whereby the two holding parts 20, 22 are hence coupled and can be coupledly and synchronously moved, accordingly.

(23) At this, the two holding parts 20, 22 are coupled via a coupling member 30, whose function is linked with the manner of the receptacle's 16 filling with trolleys, which additionally switches a switching element 32 of the coupling member 30. Due to insertion into the receptacle 16, which is not recognizable from FIG. 3, by a full-size trolley 19 representing the transport container 17, the switching element 32 is turned about its central axis by an amount of 90° using a mechanism not shown in detail for the sake of clarity. Thus, the switching element 32 performs a quarter turn such that the coupling member 30 provided with a bar-like actuation piece disengages from the slot 36 situated at the peripheral zone 23 of the second holding part 22. The coupling member 30 mechanically couples the holding parts 20, 22 to one another, whereas the coupling or decoupling of the holding parts 20, 22 is performed by moving of the coupling member 30 in the directions of the double arrow 38 between a release position shown in FIG. 3 and a locking position and vice versa, respectively.

(24) The relevant locking position of the coupling member 30 may then be learned from FIG. 4, where the coupling member 30 is transferred along the direction of the arrow 39 in its locking position by the switching element 32, which has been switched in its other position turned about 90° by the insertion into the receptacle 16 of a half-size trolley 18 as the transport container 17. This, in turn, releases the coupling between the holding parts 20, 22, by which they are movable independently from one another. Through this, only the first holding part 20 moves into the holding position of the safeguarding means 12.

(25) It can also be seen very clearly from FIG. 4 that the second holding part 22, which was not jointly moved into the holding position, comprises an edge 24 at its free end facing away from the swivel axis 13 forming a portion 25 protruding in the trolley insertion direction, which protrudes into the receptacle 16 when the second holding part 22 or the coupled safeguarding means 12, respectively, is in the holding position.

(26) Moreover, one further recognizes a recess 28 provided with the support structure 14 in which the safeguarding means 12, especially the second holding part 22 of the safeguarding means 12, is stowable or stowed in the open position, at least partially. At this, at least the edge 24 is received in the recess 28 of the support structure 14 in the open position.

(27) According to above explanations, the present disclosure pertains to a safeguarding arrangement 10 for restricting the movability of at least one transport container 17 storable or stored in a receptacle 16 of a support structure 14. The mentioned transport container 17 may be used for the transport of goods, for example, in an aircraft, and may be stowed in the area of the aircraft's galley as a so-called trolley 18, 19. The safeguarding arrangement 10 has a first safeguarding installation 11 with at least one first safeguarding means 12. The at least one first safeguarding means 12 allows the insertion or the removal of the at least one transport container 17 into the receptacle or from the receptacle, respectively, in its open position via an opening 15. At this, the safeguarding means 12 overlaps a clean measure of the opening 15 of the receptacle 16, at least zonally, in a hold position, in which the at least one transport container 17 is held against retraction from the receptacle 16.

(28) Further, the first safeguarding means is formed variably with regard to its engagement depth into the receptacle 16.

(29) Although specific embodiments of the invention have been illustrated and described herein, it will be appreciated by those of ordinary skill in the art that a variety of alternate and/or equivalent implementations exist. It should be appreciated that the exemplary embodiment or exemplary embodiments are only examples, and are not intended to limit the scope, applicability, or configuration in any way.

(30) Rather, the foregoing summary and detailed description will provide those skilled in the art with a convenient road map for implementing at least one exemplary embodiment, it being understood that various changes may be made in the function and arrangement of elements described in an exemplary embodiment without departing from the scope as set forth in the appended claims and their legal equivalents. Generally, this application is intended to cover any adaptations or variations of the specific embodiments discussed herein.

(31) In this document, the terms “comprise,” “comprising,” “include,” “including,” “contain,” “containing,” “have,” “having,” and any variations thereof, are intended to be understood in an inclusive (i.e., non-exclusive) sense, such that the process, method, device, apparatus or system described herein is not limited to those features or parts or elements or steps recited but may include other elements, features, parts or steps not expressly listed or inherent to such process, method, article, or apparatus.

(32) Furthermore, the terms “a” and “an” used herein are intended to be understood as meaning one or more unless explicitly stated otherwise. Moreover, the terms “first,” “second,” “third,” etc. are used merely as labels, and are not intended to impose numerical requirements on or to establish a certain ranking of importance of their object.

(33) While at least one exemplary embodiment of the present invention(s) is disclosed herein, it should be understood that modifications, substitutions and alternatives may be apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art and can be made without departing from the scope of this disclosure. This disclosure is intended to cover any adaptations or variations of the exemplary embodiment(s). In addition, in this disclosure, the terms “comprise” or “comprising” do not exclude other elements or steps, the terms “a” or “one” do not exclude a plural number, and the term “or” means either or both. Furthermore, characteristics or steps which have been described may also be used in combination with other characteristics or steps and in any order unless the disclosure or context suggests otherwise. This disclosure hereby incorporates by reference the complete disclosure of any patent or application from which it claims benefit or priority.

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMERALS

(34) 10 safeguarding arrangement 11 safeguarding installation 12 safeguarding means 13 swivel axis 14 support structure 16 receptacle 17 transport container 18 half-size trolley 19 full size trolley 20 first holding part 21 handle 22 second holding part 23 peripheral zone 24 edge 25 protruding portion 26a, b distance 28 recess 30 coupling member 32 switching element 34 actuation piece 36 slot 38 double arrow 39 arrow 40 over-center spring arrangement 42 locking member